The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-06-25

good insight into the condition of civili-
cation in some of the back counties of Ken
lucky is furnished by the story of the ven
delta which has just been ended by the kill
ing OF all but one Of the male members of
the Tolliyer family of Rowan county by a
sherif's posse after battle with Winches-
ter rifles.
The feud of which the recent tragedy
is the sequel had its origin ten years ago,
though the Tollivers were not then connect
ed with it. John Martin. was the son Of
respectable resident of.Morehead in Rowan
county, and began life himself as a respect
able man. He was county clerk and kept
grocery store at Morehead. But bad com.
pany wrought his ruin. He was accused,
rightfully no doubt, of classifying the records
of the county, and when he came up for re-
election was on that account defeated.
Then he betook himself to another county,
where he was caught horse stealing, but
jumped his bail and returned to Rowan
county There he leased plot of land of
one George Underwood and built a cabin on
it. One morning one of the neighbors, Hol-
brook by name, missed two of his best
horses from his barn. He Immediately
went over to Underwood's and accused Mar
tin and Underwood's favorite son, Jesse, Of
stealing the animals. Underwood gave him
the lie direct. Then war was declared.
Holbrook gathered his friends together,
much as a feudal baron might have gathered
his retainers in the Middle Ages, and
sent word to Underwood that Martin must
60 or war would be the result. Underwood
Jafa |, /,
Underwood's sons were shot from ambush
during the following year, and Holbrook's
band lost several members. The war be-
came so extensive that the Governor sent
detachment of State troops to quiet the bel
ligerents, but they accomplished nothing.
Then Underwood's house was besieged, and
Jesse, who was the especial object of the
Holbrook's vengeance, was sent out into the
bush. The attacking party continued the
siege for some days, not daring to make an
open assault, and none of the inmates ven
tured outdoors. Finally one night, taking
advantage of the darkness, the elder Under
wood went out for load of wood Immedi-
ately shot fired by man concealed in am
bush severely wounded him and he was
dragged back into the house. Thenext night
Jesse attempted to visit his father. He was
shot down just as he reached the door. For
several days there was truce, but the Hol-
brooks, impatient to know il Jesse was dead.
called at the house and demanded admit
lance. They were let in after some parley-
ing They were all masked, but the elder
Underwood recognized one Of them and called
him by name. Immediately Underwood was
riddled with buckshot and fell back into the
arms of his wife dead: This ended hostli-
ties for time. All the male Underwoods
were dead, and the women moved away to
another county, and Martin went to Liking
City, where he engaged in illicit distilling.
Chapter two in the vendetta opens with
the return of Martin to Morehead and the
shooting Of man named Bradley, of which
Martin was accused. Now politics began to
figure in the controversy. A man named
Humphreys was elected sheriff of Rowan
county. Floyd Tolllver, who was a friend
Of the defeated candidate, swore that he
should not take his seat, while Martin
vowed that he should. Both gathered their
friends together with the intention Of fight
ing out the controversy with Winchester
rifles If need be. Tolliver and Martin met.
and after war of insults both drew their
pistols. Martin fired first and Tolliver fell
dead. Then Craig Tolliver appeared to
avenge his brothers death. Martin was in
jail in Clark county, and Tolliver deter
mined to get him out If possible and lynch
him. As the people of that county were law
abiding and would protect the Jail against
assault, TOlliver resorted to forgery to ac-
eomplish his purpose. An order purporting
to be signed by the authorities of Rowan
county requesting the surrender of Martin
was prepared and presented to the keepers
Of the jail. On this Martin was surrendered |
and placed on board a train to be taken to
Morehead. When afew miles from Morehead |
the train was boarded by mob and Martin |
was riddled with bullets. Miss Sue Martin. |
the sister of the murdered man. became |
the leader of the avengers of her brothers |
death. C. Taylor Young, the County Attor-
ney of Rowan county, was suspected of hay |
ing cone0cted the order on which Martin
was surrendered and few days after Mar
tins murder he was shot at from ambush
and narrowly escaped death. Then each |
gang began to pick off the sympathizers with |
the other. Finally the Tollivers concentrat- |
ed their forces against Humphreys, the sher- |
III whose election they defeated, and be- |
sieged him in a hotel to which he had fled |
for refuge They bombarded the hotel |
nearly all one night, firing a hundred rounds |
OF ammunition, but did not succeed in cap
turing or killing him.
The quarrel now involved SO many and
the scandal of it throughout the State was |